… says Minister Lawrence

ANOTHER Guyanese has won the battle against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, but while this breeds some level of hope in society, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence has reminded persons that the local death rate is above the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s average.

Guyana had confirmed its first imported case of COVID-19 in Georgetown, on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. That patient, a 52-year-old Guyanese woman who had travelled from the United States of America to Guyana on March 5, 2020, was presented to the public health system on March 10. She died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation on March 11. Since then, three of the woman’s relatives and 67 others had tested positive for the disease.

Added to the recent recovery, the index patient’s relatives and six others have been deemed medically cleared by health authorities.

Although ten persons have recovered to date, there have been seven deaths out of the 67 infected persons. This, Minister Lawrence said, represents a death rate of 10.4%, which is much higher than the average death rate, outlined by WHO, which is 2-4 per cent.
“Considering these figures, I urge you to stop taking matters in your own hands, it is serious. Please call the hotline or utilise the app or call the nearest health facility near you,” said Minister Lawrence during a virtual update on the COVID-19 pandemic, on Wednesday.
She urged persons to take note of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and the above-average death rate.

“I cannot emphasize that your daily behavior is the key to flattening the curve and stopping the spread,” said the minister.

Health authorities, on Tuesday, reported that the number of confirmed cases moved from 66 to 67 in 24 hours. With 18 cases being recorded last week, this minor increase shows a positive sign as authorities move forward to contain the spread of the disease.
Minister Lawrence referred to Tuesday’s statistics in her update, noting that 328 persons have been tested for the disease so far and the results have shown that 261 of those persons are negative.

Some 50 persons are, however, in institutional isolation while 17 persons are in institutional quarantine. Three of the infected persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). One of the three patients is critical.

“People, we need to take noted that there are 67 positive cases and 63 of those persons contracted the disease right here…our confirmed cases continue to climb and Georgetown has been identified as the epicenter,” said Minister Lawrence.

Globally, there are over 2.3 million cases of COVID-19, with close to 163,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medication, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only remain possible if government maintains the existing containment measures.

Locally, the government had extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directions issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last one month, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

“The measures in place are working and individual measures are working too, but we need to ensure that government enforces the existing measures…the few persons who do not go by these measures, need to comply…we need to see more improvement,” said Dr. Adu-Krow, during a virtual press briefing, on Friday.

Already, there have been revised projections which show a reduction in the probable cases, but Dr. Adu-Krow said the new projections can only be maintained if the measures are maintained.

On Friday, Dr. Adu-Krow, with the use of graphs, showed journalists how the projected cases moved from reaching 20,000 in a month to just under 1,000 in a month, with the implementation of the containment measures. If these measures were to, however, be relaxed, Guyana could see about 5,000 cases in no time.

As the country wages war against the deadly disease, President David Granger had said the efforts of the country’s frontline workers, in particular those within the medical field, should not go unnoticed.

“I ask you… to think tenderly of our public health professionals and service providers; that is to say, our doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all other supporting staff, medical and non-medical, who are providing the required care for those in distress,” President Granger said, adding: “Public health practitioners are on the frontline of protecting those stricken by the disease; they have been working tirelessly, through this very difficult situation, to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted. Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease.”

According to the WHO, COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly-discovered coronavirus.

The WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illnesses and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illness.
The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well-informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.